Top guide for sliding panel construction



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TOP GUIDE FOR SLDNG PANEL CONSTRUGT ECON Filed July 2l, 15355.

Patented Sept. 1, 1953 TOP GUIDE FOR SLIDIN'G PANEL CONSTRUCTION Donald D. Foss, Van Nuys, Calif.

Application July Z1, 1951, Serial No. 237,854

2 Claims. l

This invention relates to a guide device for sliding panel construction, including doors, windows, and the like; and more particularly to a guide device adapted to be carried by the top portion of a slidable exterior or interior panel, etc.

Some prior proposed laterally slidable panel mountings included upwardly extending hangers attached to the top portion of a panel and provided with Wheels carried at the top of each hanger for rolling engagement in a track extending above an opening to be closed. In other mountings, the panel was supported by wheels mounted in the bottom portion of the panel, the Wheels tracking on a rail provided in the sill of the opening. In such latter mountings, the top portion of the panel was loosely and frictionally slidable within a downwardly facing slot or groove in the head of the frame of the opening. Both types of slidable mountings were unsuitable for exterior installations because of their relatively loose mountings, of vibration and rattling under windy conditions, and of the difliculty of maintaining tight and eifective weather stripping around the opening in the frame. Weather tightness Was especially difficult to secure in panel mountings having the top of the panel slidable in a groove. This invention providesa device for guiding the top portion of a panel so that effectiveness of weather stripping is maintained at the top of the opening while permitting smooth, easy slidability of a panel, door, Windowy etc.

Therefore, the primary object of this invention is to design and provide a top guide device for slidable panels, doors, windows, etc. which will preclude the objections mentioned above for use of sliding panel construction for exterior installations.

An object of this invention is to design and provide a guide device for sliding panel construction whereby a panel is maintained in virtually uniform spaced relation with respect to inner surfaces of the walls of a groove accommodating a portion of the panel while being opened or closed.

Another object of this invention is to design and provide a top guide device for sliding panel construction whereby the top portion of a slidable panel is resiliently and yieldably laterally centered within a groove in the head of a framed opening to be closed.

A further object of this invention is to design and provide a top guide and spacing device for slidable panels wherein sliding movement of the panel is accurately guided with virtually uniform clearance on opposite sides thereof to avoid unequal wear upon weather stripping material lcarried by the door.

Still another object of this invention is to present a top guide and spacing device for slidable doors, windows, panels, etc., which is easily manufactured, inexpensive, and simply installed.

Generally speaking, the top guide device contemplated by this invention includes a rectangular metal plate capable of being secured to the top edge face Iof a panel, door, or Window. The plate may pivotally carry a pair of normally parallel arms disposed along diagonally opposite longitudinal edge portions of the plate. The inner ends of said arms may be transversely opposedand each inner end carries a roller or wheel mounted f-or rotation about a vertical axis, each wheel normally extending beyond the longitudinal edge of said plate and adapted to roll along interior wall surfaces of a downwardly groove formed in the head member of a door or window frame. The opposite outer end of each pivoted arm is connected to one end of a coil tension spring, the other end of said spring being connected to the plate, said spring biasing the wheels outwardly into resilient yieldable engagement with the side walls of the groove.

The invention contemplates a modication of the guide device wherein the rollers are urged outwardly by a single compression spring anchored at its central portion to the plate.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be readily apparent from the following description of the drawings:

Fig. l is a top View of a tcp guide device mounted on the top portion of a window panel which is received within a groove in a head member of a Window frame.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken in the planes indi-cated by the line II-II of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a top guide embodying this invention.

Fig. 4 is a top view of a different modification of a top guide device embodying this invention.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken in a transverse central plane indicated by line V--V of Fig. 4.

The exemplary embodiments of this invention in Figs. 1-4 inclusive illustrates a guide device for sliding panel construction as adapted to a metal window frame and sash. It is understood the guide device may be employed in similar manner to sliding doors, panels, etc. mounted in a wooden frame.

In Figs. 1 and 2 a head, generally indicated at I0, of a frame structure of a window opening includes a laterally extending downwardly facing groove or recess I I having spaced internal side Walls I2 and a top wall I3. The groove II receives therewithin a top transverse hollow member or rail I4 of a sliding window panel generally indicated at I5. The top rail I4 is illustrated as being formed of a metal box crosssectional shape having a top wall I6. The top rail I4 includes aanged inner portion II providing, in effect, a rabbeted inner edge margin for mounting a window glass I8. panel I5 includes a bottom transvers.e.member or rail (not shown) which may carry a pair of guide- Wheels which are cooperable with a suitable track on the sill of the frame for supportingthe` window panel in rolling guided contactwith. the track.

The top wall I6 of the top rail I4 carries on. its upper face a ribbon or band of weather stripping material |93, said. ribbon being of greater Width than-the` spacing: between sidewalls-i` I2 of the groove so as toprovide compressed bulbous longitudinally extending sidev portions 26 when the: top portion of thev window panel is received Within groove II. The ribbon: of weather strip-A ping*` material may be ofi any well known suit'- able type and may be secured to the top edge-face of rail, I4. in any suitable` manner.

The top rail L4l is guided within groove IVI by a pair; oftopfguide devices, generally indicated at 2I, carried atv opposite ends of rail I4', only one devicef being shown. Each top. guideY device 2.I comprises an, elongated rectangularflat metal plate 22 having parallel longitudinal edges 23. The width of plate 22 maybe slightly less than the. width, of thev top edge faceof top raill I4. The guide ZI mayv be secured to rail I4 by securing screws 24 extending through the weather strip material I9 and into Wall I6;

Plate 22A carries a pair of diagonally oppositely disposed normally' parallel flat arms 25, each pivotally connected intermediate itsendsV at, 25 to the` plateladjacentrtothe transverse center line of the plate and to a. longitudinal edge of the plate. The inner ends of arms 25 are oppositely disposed at the center-portion of the plate.. Each arm 25 carries a horizontally disposed` wheel or roller 30;.said, roller being rotatable about avertical, axis, the' diameterI of said roller being greater than the width of arm 25.

Means for biasing each roller 3.0y outwardly' be.- yond the` adjacent longitudinal edge. 23; oi the plate 22' may comprise. a. tensionY coil spring 21 connected at one end to the outer end of arm 25 and anchored at its other end to an upstanding lug' 28 formed at one side of each end of plate 22. The portion of the arm 2.5 extending outwardly from the pivotal connection 26v may be bent slightly upwardly for spacing said portion from the top surface of plate 22.; In this arrangement of arms 25, rollers 30 are.` transversely oppositely disposed and each roller is; biased outwardly for rolling Contact, as at^29; with', the inner surface ofl sidey walls I2 of'groove. II.

It will Vbe4 readily apparent that a pair of suchV top guide devices attached to a top rail I4 of a window sash will resiliently and yieldably maintain the top portion` of railV I4 within groove II in centered relation to the wallsl thereof and will provide virtually uniform equal clearance on opposite sides of the top portion ofV rail I4. Such resilient lateral maintenance of rail I4 in centered relationship within the groove II prevents rattling. ot the, window4A sash. in its. slidable The window mounting and at the same time permits the window sash to be easily slidable.

Suchan arrangement also permits an effective and eiiicient disposition of weather stripping material on the top edge of rail I4. Since rail I4 is resiliently held in lateral spaced relationship within groove II and is accurately and uniformly guided therewithin, wear of said weather stripv material will be substantially uniform throughout itslength and will thereby effectively provide weather-tight protection for a maximum period of time.

InEigAf` adiferent modification of a top guide device is illustrated, this modication differing principally from the rst embodiment described in that: a single compression spring is employed instead of a pair of tension springs. The top guide generally indicated at 35 comprises an elongated fiat rectangular metal plate 36 adapted to be secured to a top edge face of a top rail of a window sash panel as by spaced screws 31. A pair of normally parallel` arms Bil arey each pivotally connected at one end as. at. 3.9. to plate 36. The opposite end of each arm. 3.8, pivotally carries. a horizontally disposed roller 40. mounted for rotation about a vertical axis and normally having a circumferential marginalportion projecting over a longitudinal` edge of plate 36.

Means for biasing the arms 38, so as'Y to urge, the rollers outwardly into rolling. contact.. as at 4I with, side walls. of a. groove in a4 head, of a frame structure deiiningI an. opening, is provided by'a single compressionspring 42` extendingtransversely of plate 36. at. thecentral portion thereof. Each end of. compression spring 42. is seated against an upstanding. lug. or abutment 43 suitably formed, as by stamping, out` of the. metal of arm 3B. The abutment 43 may be provld'ed withinwardly extending oppositely dis posed side fingers 44 for holding the'end orv .spring 42 against horizontal transverse movement and for dening a spring. seat 4.5. for the end of the spring.

The center portion of spring 42 is held. against lateral movement or deection by meansV of an upstanding anchor member 46 suitably pressed out of the metal of the central portion of plate 36, said member 46 being provided with a downwardly facing hooked upper end 4l. The hooked end 4-'I receives and holds a central coil of spring 42- against longitudinal` movement when the compression spring is placed under compression, as when the guide. device is mounted on a. sliding panel within a groove as described above. The eiect of anchor 46 is to. separate the singlecompression spring 42 into two independently. acting compression springs, eachhali of the spring 42 extending between anchor member 46 and an abutment 43y acting as a separate spring. The anchor 46 also holds theVV spring 4'2 against disassembly from. the plate when the device is not in use and the springv is not under compression.

In both modiications described above it will be readily understood that lateral. pressure against the sliding panel and transversely of the groove i I will be resiliently and yieldably resisted by the spring means provided on each. guide device and that as said pressure decreases. or is released the guide device will resiliently urge the top portion of the panel back into.. virtually centered' relationship within the groove Il. EachV roller is biased outwardly independentlyI of the other roller because oi anchoring, the spring means to the plate, and thus each. spring acts to center the top rail when placed under additional stress due to side forces acting against the panel. Thus wear upon the weather stripping material :is substantially reduced and wear which does occur will be virtually uniform throughout the length of the ribbon of weather stripping material.

Since each of the top guide devices described acts to hold the top rail of a window sash member in centered relationship within the groove Il the window sash is conveniently and easily movable into selected position Without causing undue wear or unnecessary friction on the Weather stripping material. Thus an improved mounting is provided for exterior installations where laterally slidable door, window or panel constructions are desired,

It is understood by those skilled in the art that various modications and changes may be made in the embodiments of the invention described above and all such changes and modifications coming within the scope of the appended claims are embraced thereby.

I claim:

1. A top guide device for sliding panel construction wherein a top portion of a panel is slidably accommodated within a downwardly facing recess and for maintaining said top portion in normally centered relation within said recess, the combination of an elongated plate adapted to be secured to the top portion of a slidable panel; spaced parallel longitudinally extending arms overlying spaced longitudinal edge margins of said plate and each having a pivotal connection to said plate; a rotatable roller carried at the end of each arm and spaced from the pivotal connection; an upstanding anchor carried by the plate centrally between said arms; an upwardly directed portion on each arm opposite to said anchor; and a single spring connected to said anchor intermediate its ends and to both said upwardly directed portions and adapted to urge said rollers into contact with internal Walls of said recess.

2. A top guide device for sliding panel construction wherein a top portion of a panel is slidably accommodated within a downwardly facing recess and for maintaining said top portion in normally centered relation within said recess, the combination of: an elongated plate adapted to be secured to the top portion oi' a slidable panel; spaced parallel longitudinally extending arms overlying spaced longitudinal edge margins of said plate and each having a pivotal connection to said plate; a rotatable roller carried at the end of each arm and spaced from the pivotal connection; upstanding anchor means provided on the plate, an upwardly directed portion on each arm opposite to said anchor means; and spring means held by said anchor means and connected to said upwardly directed portions and adapted to urge said rollers into contact with internal walls of said recess.

DONALD 1D. FOSS.

References Cited in the lile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,118,721 Wiss Nov. 24, 1914 1,983,959 Wuebling Dec. 11, 1934 2,015,269 Henry Sept. 24, 1935 2,064,830 Hanson Dec. 22, 1936 2,218,149 Haynes Oct. 15, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 188,228 Great Britain Nov. 9, 1922 

